Title |
Plague bacterium as a transformer species in prairie dogs and the grasslands of western North America
|
---|---|
Published in |
Conservation Biology, March 2015
|
DOI | 10.1111/cobi.12498 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
David A. Eads, Dean E. Biggins |
Abstract |
Invasive transformer species change the character, condition, form, or nature of ecosystems and deserve considerable attention from conservation scientists. We applied the transformer species concept to the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis in western North America, where the pathogen was introduced around 1900. Y. pestis transforms grassland ecosystems by severely depleting the abundance of prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) and thereby causing declines in native species abundance and diversity, including threatened and endangered species; altering food web connections; altering the import and export of nutrients; causing a loss of ecosystem resilience to encroaching invasive plants; and modifying prairie dog burrows. Y. pestis poses an important challenge to conservation biologists because it causes trophic-level perturbations that affect the stability of ecosystems. Unfortunately, understanding of the effects of Y. pestis on ecosystems is rudimentary, highlighting an acute need for continued research. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 3 | 23% |
United Kingdom | 1 | 8% |
Iceland | 1 | 8% |
Colombia | 1 | 8% |
Unknown | 7 | 54% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 8 | 62% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 2 | 15% |
Scientists | 2 | 15% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 1 | 8% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 1 | 2% |
Mexico | 1 | 2% |
United States | 1 | 2% |
Madagascar | 1 | 2% |
Unknown | 61 | 94% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 14 | 22% |
Student > Bachelor | 11 | 17% |
Student > Master | 8 | 12% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 7 | 11% |
Other | 6 | 9% |
Other | 8 | 12% |
Unknown | 11 | 17% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 33 | 51% |
Environmental Science | 5 | 8% |
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 4 | 6% |
Arts and Humanities | 2 | 3% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 2 | 3% |
Other | 5 | 8% |
Unknown | 14 | 22% |